Stolen Moments, Untold Stories Improved Version
by AvaEobane
Summary: A one-shot-collection with the missing scenes from The Little Hawk. Royai, Edwin, HavoCatalina, LingFan, Almei, OCxOC
1. The Boy with the suitcase

**Disclaimer: I will do this once and never again in this story: I do not own any of the canon characters. I just own the OC's and the idea.**

Alright, this is the one-shot-collection which makes just sense if you read **The Little Hawk**. Maybe there will be a few chapters with missing scenes from **The White King And His Black Queen** but I will mark them.

* * *

><p><strong>The boy with the suitcase<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Timeline<strong>: Start of Roy's apprenticeship under Riza's father

**Characters**: Roy Mustang, Charles Mayer, Riza Hawkeye, Helena 'Lynn' Hawkeye, Serena Hawkeye, Kay Hawkeye, one random side character, mentions of Martin Force, Master Berthold Hawkeye, Lady Reine Hawkeye and Elizabeth Grumman Hawkeye (deceased)

* * *

><p>The eight year old boy called Roy Mustang walked down the dusty street of a little town while he searched for his future master's house. The town where he was now was called New Lanchester and many people were giving him strange looks as he walked down the street. Finally, he stopped as he reached a group of boy of his age. "Excuse me please but could you tell me where I can find the Hawkeye-mansion?" he asked.<p>

One of the boys glared at him. "What do you want there?" he asked. "It's a bunch of freaks."

Another boy who had been passing by turned around. "You have no idea, Paul," the stranger hissed. He had short, dark brown hair and a pair of dark green eyes. His facial features were already sharp despite the fact that he was maybe nine years old. He wore a neat school uniform and to Roy he seemed like someone who could be an amazing friend.

"Charles Mayer," the boy called Paul said with a hint of jealousy.

Roy froze as he stared at the older boy. The Mayer-family was rich and very famous around the capital because they possessed many enterprises. To see the heir of everything walking around in a little town without any bodyguards or something was quite a sight.

"If you have any problem with me, Paul, state it now or leave me alone," Charles said.

"You will see what you get from siding with the freaks, Mayer!"

"Oh, they are now freaks," the heir smirked, "but in a few years they will be a bunch of really hot and attractive girls … and you will be one of those who will be on their knees to get them for a date while I will have better cards because I wasn't that dumb and judged them."

"I am sure that they will never be anything else than ugly," one of Paul's friends stated.

"Ever saw a picture of their mothers?" Charles asked, obviously annoyed. "If they get half as pretty as their mothers, they will be already gorgeous."

Roy looked at him. "Where can I find the Hawkeye-mansion?" he asked again.

"Oh, I can show you the way," Charles said as he extended his hand. "I am Charles."

"Roy," the black-haired boy replied as he shook the hand. "Roy Mustang."

"Master Hawkeye's new student, right?" the brown-haired boy grinned. "Nice to meet you."

"You know about me?" Roy asked.

"Of course – Master Hawkeye told Riza who told Serena who told Lynn who told Martin who told me and Kay," the other boy smirked. "Ah … I am sure that we all will be friends soon. You come from Central, so you will have to stay here, right? That will be amazing! Martin and I get a buddy! Finally we aren't alone with the girls."

"You are really easy-going, right?" Roy tilted his head a little bit.

"Kay calls it my instant-friendship-mode," the rich heir shrugged. "Well, buddy, we need to hurry up. I promised Lynn that I would stop by to help her with her training…"

They hurried down the street before they reached the outskirts of the town where the bigger houses were to see. And right in front of the prettiest one, they stopped. In the garden,Roysaw two golden-haired girls who were reading while a silver-haired girl sat on the tree while she had her eyes closed. Charles put his fingers into his mouth before he whistled. "Ladies, come over!" he shouted before he looked around. "Where is Kay? She should be here by now…"

"She's already upstairs to show dad her results," one of the golden-haired girls said. She got up from her place on the bench and straightened her skirt before she walked over. She looked at Roy who was amazed by the depth of her amber eyes. She crossed to him and extended her little hand. "You have to be the new student," she said kindly. "My name is Riza, I am his daughter."

The other golden-haired girl waved shyly. "I am Serena Hawkeye," she said. "Riza's cousin."

The girl on the tree jumped down and walked over. "I am Helena but if you ever call me that, I will personally kill you," she said calmly. "Call me Lynn like every other sane person."

The black-haired boy gulped. "I … I am Roy," he managed to say. "Roy Mustang."

"So … you are around Kay's age, right?" Lynn smiled at him. "Don't worry; she is nice."

"I can second that," the other girl – Riza – said with a little grin. "So … dad really decided to take an apprentice? That's something new…"

"Well, this one looks actually like he is interested in the power," Serena whispered.

"But still … Uncle B doesn't like to waste his time…" Lynn added.

"…and he gets angry whenever someone isn't serious…" her sister went on.

Riza sighed. "Stop it, twins," she said. "C'mon, Mr Mustang, my father is upstairs."

They took the stairs and a red-haired girl left a room as they passed by. "Hey there," she chuckled as she held out her hand. "You have to be the new guy, right? It's nice to meet you. My name is Kay; I am Riza's cousin. I hope we will be friends very soon."

"Nice to meet you," he said and shook her hand. "My name is Roy Mustang."

"You look nice," she said bluntly. "Well, Uncle B takes a nap. He said that we should eat without him. C'mon, Rize, let's go and show Roy his room before we eat … and later on, we work out, yes? I still owe you for beating me up last week!"

They were innocent. Maybe they could see that they would be friends soon. Maybe Kay who had always been blessed with the ability to predict what would happen soon even knew that they would form one of the most infamous groups in the area soon. Maybe Lynn knew that she could always relay on her friends. Maybe Serena who was calmer than anyone else saw that this new guy would bring more life to this place. Maybe Riza who had always had a wide sight even saw the man who Roy would be in a few years in his eyes.

But they were too naïve.

None of them had even a hint of an idea what they would see over the next few years. They had no idea that they would know what it felt like to be betrayed in less when ten years. They had no idea that they would experience the feeling of loss more than once. And maybe it was better like that since knowing too much would have just hurt them.


	2. The Princess of Eternal Winter

**The Princess of Eternal Winter**

* * *

><p><strong>Characters:<strong> Roy Mustang and Serena Hamilton

**Timeline:** When Roy was ten and Serena eight

* * *

><p>It disturbed him greatly that she hardly spoke. He knew that she was intelligent and he also happened to know that she had a strong opinion of everything but she never bothered to share her thought with anyone else. She always seemed to be a little bit left out and he wondered why. He was staying in the Hawkeye-mansion for more than two years now and he could still count the occasions when he had heard her voice on one hand.<p>

He sat in the kitchen and read some books while he took notes when a shadow darkened his paper. He raised his head and saw the silent girl who held a mug of hot cacao. She handed it over to him before she took place on the opposite chair.

"Thanks, Miss Serena," he said politely. "That's very nice from you … but shouldn't you sleep?"

She just shook her head while she grabbed his notes and a red pen before she started to correct everything. She was not part of the training but she was obviously well-informed and smart.

He had never been alone with her in a room before because she usually avoided him but to him, she was like Jade – fragile and strong at the same moment. Her blond hair flooded down her back and she held it back with a red ribbon. But even though she shared the beauty of her sisters, she seemed to be different from them.

Her deep sapphire eyes were frozen landscapes with flowers made of ice and snowflakes were still visible on her long lashes. As he looked out of the window, he saw her traces in the snow. What had she done outside the house?

He had been waiting for this lonely winter night because he was interested in the secret she held and he wondered if he would have the time to rescue her before the coldness could devour her? She was a princess and her heart was made of ice to protect it from more pain. But still, there was no coldness in her soul. She was a fragile little thing with more patience than anyone else in a world so full of tears but there is no bitterness in her eyes. Even though it was rare for her mother to be present and even though her sisters were hardly what you would call affectionate, Serena was someone who showed love towards everyone.

Suddenly he could hear her voice. It was pure and full of hope and it seemed strange that it was still so calm and beautiful for she hadn't spoken in weeks. "I saw the guitar case in your room," she said lowly and pushed back a rebellious strand of her hair. "Can you play?"

There is was: the first time that she had started a conversation and he knew that he had to keep the spark alive in order to create a fire. He looked up from the corrected notes and blushed slightly. "Not really," he admitted. "I bought it because my cousin can play the guitar and I kinda forgot that I would need a teacher to show me how to play. Why do you ask, Miss Serena?"

She wrapped her hands around her own mug. "It would have been nice to have someone to play with sometimes," she whispered. "I … um … play since I was four … and I sometimes wish for someone to play with me."

He decided that it was time for a bold move and smiled at her. "You could teach me and we can play together one day," he said. "You … um … don't have to speak if you don't want to!"

She ran her tiny hand through her long hair. "It's not like I don't want to speak," she said while she wrapped her arms around her legs. "It's just … sometimes I really _want_ to say something but I _can't_. The words are there and I can feel them … I just can bring myself to speak."

"That's no problem," he said friendly. "We have time … you can say everything you want to."

She raised her head and a little smile appeared on her face. "Thank you, Roy," she said with her fragile voice that was always thin as ice. "You are alright, I guess."

He sighed deeply as he ruffled his hair. "You too, Serena," he said, deciding that they were on first name basis now. "Hey, can you show me some stuff on the guitar?" he asked.

She sighed as she looked at the clock on the wall. "Of course," she said before she got up and took the mug from the table. "You can come with me. My guitar is in my room, you know?"

Serena's room was exactly like Roy had imagined it. Everything was plain and functional. The walls were painted in a light blue colour and she had huge windows, like every one else. It was obvious that this room belonged to one of the smartest people in the house since she had made sure that everything was in the right order and – furthermore – neatly and tidy. Her guitar leaned against the wall and she walked over to pick it up. "I expect the best from you," she said and he smiled because – after all – Serena was a Hawkeye and that meant that she tolerated nothing but the best from everyone.


	3. Annoyance

**Annoyance**

* * *

><p><strong>Timeline:<strong> post-Ishbal, around February 1909

**Characters**: Dr. Knox, (Lieutenant) Colonel Henry Douglas (alias the stupid guy who was mean to Maria Ross and Roy after Maria was accused of murdering Maes Hughes. We all remember that annoying freak, yeah?), Kay Hawkeye Hamilton

* * *

><p>Dr. Knox had never been famous for his patience but usually, he could focus on the important things like his work even though he was annoyed. This time, it was hard to do so, even for him.<p>

"I really need to know when exactly the woman was killed!" Douglas yelled at him.

"And I already told you trice that I need to do some tests!" Knox shouted back.

The door opened and a red-haired woman in military uniform walked in while she dropped a report onto a table. "Long time no see, guys," she said nonchalantly. "Especially you, Knox."

"I am always surprised when I see you down here," he replied. "Why do you need my help?"

"Brigadier General Hamilton, I ask you to greet me by my rank and my last name," Douglas said with a little hiss. "I refuse to be called a 'guy' by you!"

She smirked at him. "Still jealous that I got the promotion?" she asked. "And – hey – you should check the stars on my shoulders, Douglas. I am a major general now…"

"Like I would care which rank you have, Hamilton. You know that you just got that far because your parents were both in the army," the man hissed at her before he stared at her swollen belly. "How long will you look that fat anymore?" he asked with a mean little smile.

"One month," she said before she looked at Knox. "Well, Knox, I came to ask you if you could maybe change some priorities and do the tests I need before you return to this corpse."

The former doctor chuckled. "Well, if you ask me that way, Hamilton… everything for you, lass!" he grinned. "I am really sorry, Douglas, but when Hamilton asks for help, I am her slave…"

"Listen, Knox, I just need to know when this damn woman was murdered!" the investigator yelled at him. "I don't care if you and Hamilton are best friends. I just need to know!"

"And I told you trice that the only way that I could tell you exactly when the woman was murdered was if I had killed her myself!" Knox hissed.

Kay tilted her head. "Are you guys mad at each other?" she asked.

"I am not mad," Knox said. "I am just annoyed."


	4. The Lily at the Waterfall

**The Lily at the Waterfall**

* * *

><p><strong>Timeline<strong>: around 1908

**Characters**: Ling Yao, Jun Li

* * *

><p>I watched her as she rinsed out her long black hair before she put it back into her braids. It was wrong that my grandfather's death took her away from her old life. She didn't deserve being taking away from her home but she was too stubborn to let him leave alone.<p>

The Lily of Xing left her country for good.

I sighed deeply while I wondered why his grandfather's death had shaken this woman that much. She had never cared before. She had simply carried out her job. She had never stopped to allow herself a moment of weakness. But now she was crying over her old master's death.

She was a broken doll, a tool without a purpose.

I nearly felt sorry for her but she had shattered my dream.

Still, I watched how she changed back into her dark clothes, leaving her white robe behind.

_Goodbye, Jun Li_, I thought. _I never really knew you. I just watched you in your arrogance. You were bolt enough to embody the grace herself while everyone around you crawled. How did you do it, Jun Li? How were you able to walk with your head held high why everyone around you was crawling in the dirt? And yet … now … how do you feel now? You are like a candle in the wind, my dearest friend, and the one who protected you from the storm is gone now. Now you have no one to cling to when it's raining, right? The one who called you his dearest lily … he is gone and you are a broken flower.  
>And yet … even though I really should hate you, I would have liked to know you better but I am just a little child … unworthy of your attention even if I am a prince. And now? The fire in your eyes burned out and yet … your legend will live on. Let me tell you something, Jun Li. Loneliness is tough, right? The toughest battle you ever fought. My grandfather … he created you … and pain and loneliness were the price you paid for the honour of serving him.<br>And even when he died, his ghost is still haunting you. All the others have to say it that you were the only one who really cried about his death. Yes, I admit it: I didn't cry. I didn't know him enough to cry at his funeral. His wives didn't cry. His children and grandchildren didn't cry. His other servants didn't cry. You were the only one who cried.  
>Goodbye, Jun Li, from the young prince whose dream you shattered like it didn't matter at all. Still, I see you as something more than just a tool, more than just a servant. I see you as a human being with emotion. Thank me later … but I am not even sure if I will see you ever again.<em>

I watched her for some seconds while she stood there, next to the waterfall. And somehow I knew that it wouldn't be the last time that I saw her like that: defeated yet proud.


	5. How did you do it, grandfather?

**How did you do it, grandfather?**

* * *

><p><strong>Characters<strong>: Ling Yao, Jun Yao, Lan Fan, Jun Li, mentions of Fu

**Timeline**: between the Promised Day and the return to Xing

* * *

><p>Ling glared at his not-dead grandfather who was watching his loyal servant who was cleaning the counter while she spoke with her little sister. He grabbed his glass and didn't pay any attention to the question if he was breaking the glass. He didn't care about something like that right now. He was way too angry to care about something like that.<p>

"If you want to yell at me, do as you please," the old man said calm. "I doubt that Jun Li will be happy but, well, it's not always the way she wants it to be."

Ling stared at the sisters. "How?" he asked. "How did you do it? Fu and Lan-Lan, they trained for this mission for years. They were prepared. They were perfect. They knew what was going to happen. And yet, they followed me. They followed me into their demise. They knew and they didn't care. Dammit, Fu died for me. Lan Fan cut off her own arm! What the hell is wrong with them? In what kind of world do I live that I envy a man who flew from everything?"

His grandfather sighed deeply. "I knew Fu," he said carefully. "A great man, really. I liked him. He was the best bodyguard from our clan," he added. "I still preferred Jun Li because she is underestimated most of the time because she looks so harmless."

The air in the room seemed to be cold as ice and the tears that ran down Ling's face didn't make it easier for the bothYao's to talk about everything. Jun Yao could read his grandson's eyes like an open book. He saw anger and failure. The poor boy hurt. It was a secret grief because it was not appropriate for a prince to cry over a servant's death. The old man sighed deeply. Ling had spent too much time by reading the protocol. It was too deep in his heart to free him with a few words. The poor boy was torn between the rules he had to obey like everyone else and his heart.

"How did you do it, grandfather?" Ling whispered as he remembered that Jun Li had fallen ill some years ago. He also remembered that most of the doctors had said that she would die. And yet, there she was, smiling and laughing, too stubborn to accept death when it came after her.

The prince sighed deeply and glared at his wine. "My bodyguards, grandfather," he said. "They are perfect … strong … no … they are untouchable. They are perfect, old man."

The old emperor stayed silent while he stared at his old servant.

"They … they would kill and die for me," Ling went on. "I am their leader … and yes, Fu really died for me … for his leader…"

"Ling…" Jun Yao's face betrayed the pain he was suffering. "I am so sorry for you."

"No, I know that you aren't sorry. You don't understand my feelings. What a world is this? I am jealous of a coward like you. This can't be real, right?"

Jun Li's hiss came but Ling barely heard it. He continued to stare at the man who didn't understand at all. It was so unfair. Why had this coward been allowed to keep what he needed the most while Ling had lost so much? It was so wrong.

The old emperor looked at his old bodyguard who stared back at him with a mixture of sympathy and anger towards Ling. She was ready to step in if Ling should decide to attack.

Ling followed his grandfather's gaze and repeated the only question he needed to be answered. "How did you do it?" he whispered.

The old man stayed silent, remembering the time when he had come so close to losing his most trusted ally. He shook his head to get rid of the painful memories. He didn't want to remember that time when he had been so, so desperated.

Ling stared at the young women who were looking at them with eyes full of sorrow because they didn't want them to fight. They were too calm to fight each other in a real fight, the prince and the emperor both knew it.

Ling's eyes held no light as he looked back at his grandfather. "How did you do it, you coward? How did you do it that she chose to **live** for you even though she was merely a tool for you to use to stay safe? She was nothing more than a sword to you…"


	6. The Lily and the Golden Dragon

**The Lily and the Golden Dragon**

* * *

><p><strong>Timeline: <strong>pre-canon, around 1886

**Characters**: Jun Yao, Jun Li

* * *

><p>Looking back, Emperor Jun Yao noticed that she had earned her place at his side over the past few years. She was Jun Li, his favourite and most trusted bodyguard. She was still very young, just eight years old but she was already in his service for two years. Her father had been his guard before her but after the man had fallen; his eldest daughter had been the one to take over the position as Imperial Bodyguard. She was pretty good, the emperor had to admit. She was very small for her age and many people tended to overlook her when she was standing in the corner with her kunai in her hand. She was calm and had the same amount of self-control her late father had possessed while she was so much younger.<p>

Jun Yao was amazed to see her at his side for so many years. He had thought that she would leave as soon as she would get the offer to go to the Imperial School for Warriors but she had declined the like she had declined any offer to give her a less dangerous position at the Court. It was sometimes strange to watch her. Her face was still full of innocent yet she could take out any assassin with any weapon you handed her. She wore her mask while she was on duty and over the past two years, the emperor had never seen her face.

He looked up as she returned to his chamber after her break and stared at her hidden face. "Jun Li," he said calmly and she came closer to ask what he wanted. As she kneeled down to receive the new orders, he sighed. "Could you please take off your mask while I am talking to you?" he asked. He knew that she was ordered to keep her face covered all the time but he knew that most of the bodyguards hated their masks because it was bad for their skin and caused acne.

She gulped before she looked at him with her huge blue eyes. "Of course, Your Highness," she said before she unbound the ribbon that secured her mask on her face. Underneath her mask, she was just a pretty little girl. She didn't look like a bodyguard because her eyes were full of innocence and sadness. He understood perfectly fine why she was sad. She had lost her father after all and it was always hard for a little girl to lose the one who had cared the most about her.

Her little pale face was sad and she looked a little bit depressed … and very pale, too pale for his liking. He knew that he wasn't supposed to care about her that much but still, he couldn't help it.

He bent down and gently put one hand on her head. "You are really a pretty little girl," he told her while he patted her head. "You really shouldn't hide your face behind your mask. In fact, I order you from now on to live without your mask." He smiled down at her. "And you are allowed to act like the child you are supposed to be as long as it is just the two of us, alright?"

She was his personal bodyguard after all and she was often the only one around him because he liked her calm and serene behaviour – and she reminded him of his late half-sister from the Ming-clan who he had liked very, very much and who had helped him to become emperor.

Jun Li tilted her little head. "Master?" she asked carefully. "It is not … appropriate, I believe."

He sighed deeply. "You know that there are people who say that I am crazy, right?" he asked. "It is because I don't care about the rules as much as I should care. I am no one who cares who you come from as long as you do a good job. And you are doing a wonderful job, my dearest lily."

He didn't know where this nickname came from but it was fitting. She was pale like a lily and most of the time, she held herself with a grace that searched a rival without finding someone.

* * *

><p>Time passed by and the day came. The day he decided that he couldn't be the emperor any longer. Well, he had left the throne some years ago but he was still treated like the emperor. On the one hand, he was flattered that the people still loved him that much but on the other hand, it was annoying. He had to leave. He wanted to taste the air of real freedom before his death.<p>

"Master," the voice was calm as usual but it had matured over the past sixteen years. Jun Li was twenty-two years old and she still wore no mask and sometimes, she even wore dresses.

"My dearest lily," he said with a little smile as he watched her coming closer. "You seem to be troubled. Would you mind to tell me why?" he asked.

She looked down. "You, my master, seem to be very restless these days and I was wondering if there is something bothering you," she said with a little bow.

"It would be better for you if you wouldn't know," he said as she kneeled down in front of him to kiss his hand. "You will get in trouble for knowing, my dearest lily."

She raised her head and looked at him. "Master, I served you for sixteen years," she said as she let go of his hand. "I know how you act when you are planning something. And I would really like to know what you are planning this time because your plans usually involve me and I like to know which type of weapon I will need," she added.

"I am going all alone this time," he said.

She jumped back to her feet and her eyes widened in shock. "Master, you can't be serious!"

"Jun Li, please, calm down," he said while he tilted his head. "I would never have guessed that you would react like that. Well, I am going to leave this country and I will take no one with me since I am going to fake my own death and it would be really, really strange if you would go missing right after my death." He grabbed her small hand and kissed it. "You are a wonderful bodyguard, Jun Li, and I am sure that my son will keep you in his service."

She shook her head. "No, master, with all due respect, I cannot follow this order," she said. "I am going with you – and even if you should leave me behind, I will track you down. I am loyal to you because you are a good leader. I am neither loyal to the council nor to your son. My loyalty belongs just to you and the rest of the Yao-family because I vowed you to stay loyal to the end."

He sighed deeply. "You will ruin yourself, my little lily," he said.

"I have nothing left to lose, master," she said. "Wherever you will go, I will follow you. If you should decide to walk through hell, I will be there. If you should decide to go to Drachma, I will be the one freezing next to you." She bowed again. "I am sorry for this outburst, master."

He looked sadly at her. "Jun Li, I already caused your father's death," he said. "If we get caught, you will be executed and the reputation of your family will be stained forever!"

"My father was a proud man and a loyal warrior," she said. "He taught me the meaning of true loyalty when I was still very, very young. And I won't abandon you now. As your servant, it is my duty to ensure that you get whatever you need. And as you may know, I always took that duty really, really serious. I do not intend to let you down now when you need someone to help you."

He grabbed her shoulders. "Jun Li, you may be right but I still have to go alone."

"To get killed before you can even leave the country?" she shot back. "Master, it's not my place but I need to remind you that you aren't that young anymore. You will need someone to fight for you. And I am willing to do this. Furthermore, I have no reason to stay here any longer when you are gone. The whole court annoys me greatly."

"Jun Li, you have family here," he said calmly. "I don't doubt your strength or your loyalty but if you go with me, you will most likely never see anyone from your family again. And it would be wrong from me to take this away from you. You already sacrificed so much…"

"Master," she replied. "My sister and my grandfather are also serving someone from the royal family. They know that the duty is more important than any personal issue. They will understand my decision even though they will never know why I left the country."

"My dearest lily…" he sighed. "You can follow me. You are right; I will need someone out there."

She nodded as she bowed once more. "I will follow you for the rest of my life," she vowed.


	7. Without them

**Without them**

* * *

><p><strong>Characters<strong>: Roy Mustang, mentions of Maes and Gracia Hughes, Kay Hamilton, Charles Mayer and Riza Hawkeye

**Timeline**: 19th of March 1914

* * *

><p>Roy stared out of the window to see that the roses in his garden weren't as pretty as they used to be before the call had come. He could still hear Maes' chocked voice and Gracia's sobs in the background. The black-haired man looked up to realise that the sun hadn't rose as high as usually and as he closed his eyes to concentrate on the silence, he even noticed that the birds didn't sing their usual, sweet songs … even the clouds on the sky were more grey than usually.<p>

It seemed like everyone and everything was grieving along with him. He sat on his window while night fell but even the stars didn't shine as much as they used to do it in the night before.

And to him, it felt like things would never be the same again.

Heaven got two more angels in the night before then Kay and Charles left this world behind. It was surely an improvement for heaven, Roy decided, but it was a great loss for this world. He missed them already but he hoped that he would see them again, in his next life.

For now, he would close his eyes to go to sleep … and to dream of heaven tonight.

**Charles** … green eyes … great pride and the will to stay alive … messy, brown hair … a bright, happy laugh … a hard punch … and simply the best guy out there …

**Kay** … green eyes … always walking the fine line between self-confidence and arrogance … red hair, often bound to a ponytail … a wonderful, sun-like smile … a sharp tongue … and simply the most annoying, most amazing best female friend a guy could ask for …

The grass wasn't as green without the comparison with their shining eyes any longer and the sky wasn't quite as blue without making a sharp contrast to the fire-red hair.

He looked at the photo of them on his sideboard. It was their wedding picture and it hurt his heart to see them that happy while he knew that he would never see Kay and Charles holding hands and kissing in the rain again. Still, the photo sweetened the memory of them because he knew that they had lived their lives to the fullest. They had never left any chances unused. They hadn't left behind any regrets. They had died without thinking 'I should have done…'

Still, the rain on his skin had been a little bit colder when he had walked home and the fire in his fireplace was never quite as warm since they were gone. Of course, he hadn't seen them in five years but they had been still around, somehow. Now they had moved from Aerugo to heaven which seemed so far away.

But he would learn from this loss, the loss he had never expected to suffer. He would spend a little more time now with the things that mean really meant something to him. He owed Riza a proper explication and an apology and he would give it to her soon … because while Kay and Charles hadn't had any regrets, he had many … and it pained him greatly to realise that it had taken the death of two of his oldest friends to make him notice the wonders of this world. He smiled thinly as he looked at the picture. They had taught him so many things and he had never thanked them for telling him that he should love with a little more hope and to live with a little more peace. And after all, he understood now how precious life could be.

He closed his eyes again as he listened to the music from the radio on the table.

Of course, it had to be song he had used to hear with Charles, Kay and Riza in his room when he to studied under Riza's father. He remembered how he had told Riza that the way her brown eyes shined at night would put all the stars above them to shame … and she had frowned at him before she had stated: "That's a terrible lie, Mr Mustang."

Back then, Charles had been just a boy with a shiny new car that had a tendency of smelling of Kay's perfume which had smelled of apples … and Roy had been right there beside them, all summer long … and then the time they had woke up … just to find that October had come and that summer was gone.

But when he thought Elle Duchamps, he thought of Kay's favourite song … the one they had danced to all night long while the moon had illuminated the room and had made the lake look like a silver mirror – and when he thought of happiness, he thought of Riza's little black dress … Kay's head on Charles' chest – and his old jeans.

The October had been a month of tears. Kay and Riza had been depressed all the time because Riza's father had fallen ill. He could still remember how they had both thanked him for being there with them – even though they had been ashamed that he had seen them that way.

But in a box beneath his bed was a letter that he had wrote to Kay and Charles who would never read it now but it should have brought that special summer back.

It wasn't hard to find it all a little bitter sweet because they had been so close to everything.

And when Roy looked back now, on all the things he used to have, it was nice to believe that Riza would think of Kay's favourite song to when she thought of Elle Duchamps … the song they had danced to on her school ball. Or that she would think of her little black dress, a head with red hair on a muscular chest and old jeans when she thought of happiness.

Maybe she would really think of him and the dances they had shared when she heard Elle Duchamps. Maybe, someday when she would turn the radio on, they would play Kay's favourite song and it would take it back into his arms – and this time, he wouldn't let go.

He looked back at the old photo on his nightstand before he went to sleep.


	8. Saying goodbye to a friend

**SOLUTIONS FOR TEENAGER RANDOMNESS:**

**Nicknames:**

**AwesomeOrange91** – Jade Mustang (she loves oranges, so who else should it be?)  
><strong>FlamingHorse90<strong> – Roy Mustang (duh.)  
><strong>TheBossOfTheStorm92<strong> – Phil Mustang (he was always a little bit arrogant – Edward would agree)  
><strong>LikeAGoddess90<strong> – Kay Hawkeye Hamilton (she had many strong points but modesty was never hers.)  
><strong>1stHealth'sAngel<strong> – Lynn Hawkeye Hamilton (this one was a little private joke of mine. My father is a cop and one of his colleagues accidentally misspelled the rogue motorbike gang Hell's Angels in a report and wrote Health's Angels instead.)  
><strong>TheMasterOfTheMatchmaking89<strong> – Maes Hughes (duh.)  
><strong>TheForceOfFearAndCourage91<strong> – Martin Force (Well, the guy loves contradictions!)  
><strong>I'mRichSoWhat1889<strong> – Charles Mayer (as stated in the first chapter, the boy was always filthy rich!)  
><strong>TheSoundlessVoice1<strong> – Serena Hawkeye (in spite of her talkative sisters, she was always quiet)  
><strong>FutureMrsLlewellyn1<strong> – Olivier Armstrong (honestly, who else would play around with that?)  
><strong>SonOfTheAwesomeness1<strong> – Bendix Llewellyn (duh.)  
><strong>GoldenHawkGirl92<strong> – Riza Hawkeye (duh.)  
><strong>IAmNoDesperateHousewife<strong>! – Izumi Curtis (duh.)  
><strong>1stPlaceBeststellerAuthor<strong> – Abigail Mustang (her son's arrogance didn't came from nothing)

* * *

><p><strong>Saying goodbye to a friend<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Timeline:<strong> Start of The Little Hawk

**Characters:** Roy Mustang, Charles Mayer, Lynn Hamilton and Riza Hawkeye

* * *

><p>Roy stared at his friend while he tried to realise what Charles had just said. "You … leave?"<p>

The slightly older man nodded. "I am sorry, Roy," he said, "but that's how life goes. Kay and I got in trouble with the mafia. It's no longer safe in Amestris for us … and when we stay, we endanger you and the rest of the crew too."

"Charles…" Roy shook his head. "There has to be another way!"

"Believe me, neither Kay nor I want to go," the brown-haired man said while he leaned against the doorframe. "Cheer up, Roy. You were the one who cut his ties with Riza. If you hadn't done this, life was much easier for you."

Roy groaned. "I did what was the best for her. I don't matter as much as she does."

"Fool," Charles stated with a sigh. "Who do you think you are to decide for her?"

"Lynn said the same – Serena just glared at me before she slapped me."

"Yes, she was never extraordinarily talkative, that's true," he sighed. "Really, Roy, I wonder how the hell we could end up like this? Everything is broken … everyone leaves…"

"The war, the war tore us apart," the Flame Alchemist said darkly. "I know the reason why … but I still wonder why we weren't couldn't see the signs. At least Kay should known were we were going … but she did nothing … she was the only one with a chance to do something … but she didn't use the chance to turn the tables. She let it happen, everything."

"I believe that she didn't want to accept the direction we had taken," Charles said while he rubbed his forehead. "It would have meant to accept that we were failing – and she never wanted to see our mistakes. It was her only weakness in all these years…"

Roy was silent for a second while Charles packed his suitcase. "I really wished you wouldn't do that," he said. "Lately, I saw too many people who packed their suitcases. Lynn and Martin went to the West and Serena left for the North."

"I still don't think that it is too late for our big dream, Roy," Charles said friendly. "You have still a chance to make it all better, my old friend. As long as I know that someday, the time will be right for us to return, I can leave without any regrets. Right now, it's not right enough for us to stay."

The state alchemist snorted. "You know that I will make it better," he grinned. "If I was you, I wouldn't get too used to Aerugo. You will be back before you even know that you were ever gone – and you know that I never failed you."

Charles laughed lowly. "Well I hope so, Roy, since my Aerugian is terrible," he said. "But look, even though we ended up in misery, I can imagine worse situations for us. This way, we can still say all the things that left unsaid for so many years. I am _happy_ that I got Kay back from the war."

"You were always an optimist," Roy muttered while he took place on a chair, "but don't you agree that the war took her away too? I mean … the real Kay … the one she used to be…"

"I will get her back, no matter what," Charles said. "I am no one to give up that easily. I leave it to you to cut all the ties that would make a normal life possible, Roy."

The door to the room was opened as Lynn entered, dragging a pale and fragile looking Riza along. The majestic silver-haired woman looked like she was going to kill someone and her glare was directed at Roy, like usually since she had heard of his latest dumbness. "Mustang," she hissed through her prefect white teeth. "I can't remember that I invited you…"

"Lynn," Charles said warningly while he walked over to her and hugged her gently. "Please…"

"I see no reason to be polite any longer," she stated coldly while she placed Riza on a chair and stepped like a guardian behind her. "Now that the story played out like this, I don't feel like I have to be nice a day longer. However, Charles, did you see my gloves?"

He sighed deeply as he shook his head. "You don't get your gloves back until you come down from your latest anger trip," he said. "I promised Martin…"

But she had stopped listening long ago. "Roy…" she whispered and a whispering Lynn meant serious business – especially since she was pregnant as well. She was a little bit behind compared to her older sister but she had the most wonderful mood swings anyone had ever seen. "Are … are you really eating my liquorice, you bastard?" she asked.

"Um … yes?" he replied.

"Give it back immediately or I will have Riza kill you right on the spot!"

"Honestly, you preached high moral standards for years and now you justify murder with candies? Tell me, Lynn, are you insane?"

"Liquorice isn't candy, you fool!" she yelled at him.

"What is it when it's not candy?" he asked smugly, enjoying that he was able to freak her out.

"It's _serious business_," she said.

"You are really a terrible person," he said.

She smirked before she walked around the chair with the silent Riza before she raised her hand.

"How many times did I tell you not to annoy her, Roy?" Charles asked.

"He is too stupid to listen," the pregnant woman said before she punched the Flame Alchemist.

"Lynn-Lynn…" Riza sighed. "You shouldn't be so aggressive. It's not good for you and the babies."

Her cousin threw her an annoyed glare. "But he deserves it!" she exclaimed.

"I will miss you too," Roy said while he rubbed his cheek where she had hit him.


	9. A day in Feburary

**A Day in February**

* * *

><p><strong>Characters:<strong> Lynn Hamilton Force, Martin Force, Serena Hamilton, mentions of others

**Timeline:** In February, shortly before Lynn's death

* * *

><p>It was an early morning in February … maybe three hours to dawn if she had counted correctly. The night was already vanishing … the sky got brighter … she considered it as irony but her whole life had been a simple case of irony of fate. She closed her eyes for a second before she opened them again. It was time for her to say goodbye even though she didn't want to leave yet. There was so much left to do for her. She would die before her life had really started. She would leave so many people behind. She inhaled deeply to calm her sorrow. It was always the same way in life: something would end and another would start.<p>

Her thoughts turned towards her children who were fast asleep in their beds, unaware of all the darkness that was around them. They were so young, so innocent … free from sorrow and pain – but that would change very soon. She loved them so much. It nearly broke her heart to know that she would leave them behind. She wondered how much would change for them once she wouldn't be any longer but she knew that Riza would be there for them.

Her life flashed before her eyes. She had always thought that it was a myth but now she had to see that it was pretty much real. She remembered how she had clung to Kay, her wonderful older sister who she had always adored because Kay was one of the greatest people who had ever graced the world with their presence. She also remembered how she sat with her red-haired sister on a tree while Kay smoked a cigarette – just to annoy their mother. And she remembered how Kay had smiled at her. 'Never worry about me, Lynn-Lynn. Everything will be alright … sooner or later, that it is…' She also remembered Serena, innocent, shy little Serena who had already left. She felt a tinge of annoyance with her younger twin. Serena had never been supposed to leave before her.

She huffed at the irony. She would die in spring, in February. It was the time of rebirth but it was the time of her death. She hated to break a rule. Rules had been a good part of her life and she had been the only one out of them who had tried to play by them. Kay had had always a certain screw-the-rules-I-am-the-boss-attitude that had made her so popular and easily to befriend. Serena had disliked everything that had stopped her from expressing herself. Riza had always seemed like a girl that would play by the rules butLynnknew exactly that her cousin had broken every single rule her father had made – concerning Roy inwardly. At least, she wouldn't die as a single woman. She sighed once more while she passively watched how her own blood formed a pool of crimson liquid around her. She absently drew the array she had seen on the map on the ground. The secret behind all the bloodshed was drawn on the floor in her own blood. She appreciated the irony behind this.

She knew that someone would understand why they had killed her. If she had to bet on someone, she would always bet on her best friend, Jade. The Breeze Soul Alchemist was a very intelligent woman who excelled in breaking codes. She smiled sadly as she remembered the other woman. Jade had told her once that she had had learned many different systems of codes as a punishment for putting a frog in her aunt's bed.

"Farewell, Jade," the silver-haired woman muttered quietly while she lost her concentration and fell against her dying husband who wrapped his arms around her.

"It was an awesome time we had," Martin muttered quietly. "Too bad that it is over now."

She smiled as she turned her head around to face him before she kissed him sweetly. "Yeah."

And she remembered her daughter and the innocence of the little girl who won't have a mother in some always stay her little angel – and not even death would keep her from hearing the faint whispers of her daughter when the little girl was up to another prank. Victoria … the little champion … her little genius … the girl that carried Kay's hair colour and her aunt's infamous smirk with so much pride…

The violet eyes slid slowly close as she spotted a bright figure in front of her. She had a hard time to make out the outlines but as she finally succeeded, she knew that it was her younger twin sister. Serena smiled as she held out her hand. "Come with me, sister," she said and all the pain leftLynn's body as it lost the usual tension and the Silver Star Alchemist was gone forever.

* * *

><p>AN: This is dedicated to one of my most frequent reviewers, <strong>luvlife4life,<strong> and it is a part of the monster-update I doing today (15th of March 2012).


	10. The reasoning behind a long friendship

**The reasoning behind a long, long friendship**

* * *

><p><strong>Timeline<strong>: Pre-canon, starting around 1888

**Characters**: Bendix Llewellyn, Olivier Armstrong, Charlotte Llewellyn, Leroy Grumman, Philip and Augusta Armstrong

* * *

><p>They were two adorable babies, their mothers decided.<p>

They were two worthy heirs of the names of their families, their fathers decided.

They looked cute together, the nurses said.

The little boy would be a real heartbreaker later on, the maids said.

The little girl would be as stubborn as her godmother later on, her father chuckled.

He was soft and someone good to take a nap with, Olivier decided.

She was warm and someone good to snuggle with when he was tired, Bendix decided.

Honestly, they were doomed from the very beginning of their lives.

There was no freaking way in hell how Olivier and Bendix could live without being best friends.

Their parents were friends since many, many years. His mother was her godmother. Her father was his godfather. They lived close to each other since the Grumman-mansion was next to the Armstrong-villa. Their nannies were best friends and always went to the same park when Olivier and Bendix were five months old.

Their parents found it simply hilarious that they liked to use each other as teddy bears while the real teddy bears were always ignored, so they often slept in the same bed at the age of one.

The photographs simply adored pictures of them together in matching suits when they were two years old.

They teamed up to steal the last cookie from the jar and shared it. The cooks always gave them extra cake after lunch when they went to the kitchen together when they were three. They never got in trouble when they missed dinner together because their parents found it funny to find them in the garden, sleeping soundly next to each other.

At the age of six, their teacher at school assigned them seats next to each other in the first row. Also t the age of six, their piano teacher gave them the assignment to learn to play four-handed. They had sleepovers on a regular basis, every Friday.

They wore their hair at the same length when they were seven. They had the same interests, always.

People who didn't know them started to think that they were twins because they started to finish each other's sentences at the age of eight.

He comforted her when she cried over her grandfather's death when they were eleven (and claimed that she didn't cry some years afterwards when someone was bullying her).

She tutored him when he was close to failing Xerxesian when they were thirteen. When they were fourteen, he stole her first kiss and got punched in return. (It was a very awkward moment for both of them.)

At the age of sixteen, when they entered the Military Academy in West City, they were accused of being a couple and they found it funnier than anything else. Her hair was longer than his by now and they weren't mistaken for twins any longer but they had still a very strong connection.

He beat up the boys who tried to hurt her then they were seventeen and she cleaned his wounds afterwards and sat with him in detention even though she wasn't supposed to be there too.

At the age of eighteen, they stood side by side, full of pride, when they graduated. She slept during the party afterwards with her head on his shoulder because she found it so boring to watch the others while they got drunk. He awoke her at midnight and they left the party to go out for dinner. It was an awkward moment when they run into his parents at the restaurant but they all laughed about it. They also visited their 'friendship tree' that night and made sure if their names were still engraved into the wood.

Yes, they were best friends, bound to each other for eternity.


End file.
